Mario Pop-Up Bar at Cherry Blossom Pub, DC | #GeeksWithForks

“You came for Mario and they served it.”

A few months back I expressed my undying love for all things Mario and like a genie the pub gods granted me a wish in the form of a Mario pop up bar. Cherry Blossom Pub in DC offers a unique bar-going experience by providing the pop-up bar themed experience.

From March 1- April 15th the bar offers two themes, one Cherry Blossom and the other Mario.

The Mario side not only offers bartenders dressed as both Mario and Luigi, but themed drinks and décor that make this experience, unlike anything you’ve ever indulged in. With drink names such as the “King Koopa Cup”, “What doesn’t kill you makes you smaller”, and “It’s a me Mario”, how you could go wrong!

The vibes were amazing and the level of enthusiasm could not be matched. I’m sure that contributed to our nice 2.5-hour wait just to get inside. Aside from the long wait time and the lack of a food menu the overall experience was great! You came for Mario and they served it. I do wish we were able to take home the cups from the Neko Colada which would have been a great parting gift. Due to the work and effort put into this display, I have to give the Mario pop up bar a 4/5. – KENDRA

“The wait in line was long as FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!”

So I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. The wait in line was long as FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! I thought getting there early was going to help and it did, but was not expecting that long of a wait. The bar opened at 5:30 pm. We arrived in DC around 3:40ish and we were in line by 3:50. We were certain that we were in a good spot. WRONG! What seemed like the perfect place in line was actually, the “The Wait In Line is 2+ Hours From This Point”! Where’s the Warp Pipe when you need one!?

Both bars were pretty dope. I was impressed by the detail of the Cherry Blossom side. It wasn’t just some arts and crafts cutouts of cherry blossom trees. Those trees were BEAUTIFUL! The detail of the trees and the lighting made you feel like you were sitting outside, drinking under cherry blossom trees. Much respect to the artist behind that.

The Mario bar was pretty cool and I could tell the person behind the design had fun. Of course, I loved the LEGO backdrop behind the bar and the animatronic piranha plant in the pipe was dope. Also, every so often, the music playing would stop and a musical theme from the Mario games would play.

People have asked me was it worth the wait and my answer has been: “If I’d known I’d be waiting in line 2+ hours, I would have changed my mind”.

My recommendation, if they have the pop-up next year, go during the week. If you go on the weekend, bring a tent and food. – JON